The East Khasi Hills District administration has imposed an immediate ban on the unauthorised discharge of untreated sewage and waste into the Umkhrah and Umshyrpi rivers in Shillong.
District Magistrate RM Kurbah issued the emergency order on May 13 under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), citing alarming test results from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board. The report highlighted high levels of Biological Oxygen Demand and Faecal Coliform at critical points, indicating continued deterioration of water quality.
The ban specifically targets six highly contaminated locations: Umshyrpi near Law College and Umshyrpi Bridge, Umkhrah at Demthring, Umkaliar, near the Mawlai Phudmuri slaughterhouse, and Mawpdang Mawlai. “Such pollution not only contaminates water but also causes air pollution and serious health hazards for residents,” the order noted. Violators will face prosecution under Section 223 of the BNS and further legal action under the Water and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Acts.